Piper PA-28R-201T accident near Peoria, Illinois, November 2, 2001
On November 2, 2001 at about 11:56 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, registered N5984V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Peoria, Illinois (Mount Hawley Auxiliary airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The gear collapse for undetermined reasons during the landing roll. A factor was the pilot not using a proper touchdown point by landing long.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 2001 · about 11:56 pm local time
- Place
- Peoria, Illinois · Mount Hawley Auxiliary · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201T · all PA-28R-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N5984V · no longer on the register · serial 28R7703176
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain and an object following a gear collapse during landing roll. The pilot was uninjured. A mechanic stated, "When lifted the Right wing the gear fell down and locked. I jacked the left wing to engage the lock, the left gear was down but, was not locked. The nose gear would not fall down due to the gear doors were bent, so I used the hydraulic pump to push it down and it locked." FAA inspectors found that the airplane landed long and touched down on the left side of the centerline. An inspector stated, "Photographs indicate that the aircraft immediately began a hard right turn. Shortly before exiting the runway, skid marks show that the right main landing gear started to fold up. The aircraft came to rest on the east side of the runway with the nose and right main gear retracted. One runway light was broken off after it was struck with the left wing. The pilot reported, "As I turned from base to final, I again ordered a pre-landing checklist noting that the gear was showing 3 green lights on the panel. The initial phase of the landing and touch down seemed normal but after a short period (I cannot define how need) as the aircraft proceeded down the centerline, I noticed the right side of the aircraft descending as though the right gear was collapsing and the right wing descending toward the pavement."
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 1,870 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 4, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,330 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2001; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-FB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LL10 Naperville IL at 11:10 pm
- Destination: 3MY Peoria IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 3,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 310° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from PIA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.